Adjustable self-holding shank button holder attachment



Dec. 6, 1960 T. J- MANGANIELLO ADJUSTABLE SELF-HOLDING SHANK BUTTON HOLDER ATTACHMENT Filed Nov.

Z i Z2 52 l 43 42 INVENTOR Tc/JVZZ nyanieZ/o ATTORNEY United States Fatent C ADJUSTABLE SELF-HOLDING SHANK BUTTON HOLDER ATTACHMENT Thomas J. Manganiello, 303 Bridge St., Old Forge, Pa.

Filed Nov. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 773,042

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-114) This invention relates to a button holder attachment for sewing machines and more particularly to an attachment for holding shank buttons of various sizes and shapes correctly positioned relative to a vertically reciprocating needle of a sewing machine for passage of the needle downwardly through the opening in the button shank.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a shank button holder which may be adjusted for accommodating buttons and button shanks of diiferent sizes and shapes and for adjustably positioning the button shank relative to the sewing machine for correctly aligning the shank opening with the sewing machine needle, to thereby eliminate the time consuming task of adjusting the position of the needle of a sewing machine for proper registration with shank openings of buttons of different sizes and shapes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a button holder having means for releasably engaging a button head for releasably retaining the button shank correctly positioned in the holder and so that the button will not have to be manually held in engagement with the holder, during operation of the sewing machine for securing the button to a piece of fabric.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a button holder including button shank engaging jaws which are individually adjustable relative to one another and relative to the sewing machine on which the holder is mounted, and individually adjustable button head engaging elements which are adjustable relative to one another and relative to the button shank engaging jaws, to provide a holder capable of supporting shank buttons having heads and shanks of various sizes and shapes and for supporting such buttons correctly positioned for securement to a piece of fabric by operation of the sewing machine.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, showing the shank button holder attachment in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, of the button holder attachment;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1, and v Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the shank button holder attachment in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 8 and includes a mounting bracket, designated generally 9. The mounting bracket 9 includes an elongated jaw supporting bar 10 and an attaching bar 11. As seen in Figure 3, the shank portion 12 of the bracket 9 integrally connects the attaching bar 11 to one end of the supporting bar 19, and so that the bar 11 is upwardly and forwardly offset relative to the bar 10. The parts 10, 11 and 12 combine to form a downwardly and forwardly opening right angular notch 13. The attaching bar 11 and shank 12 are disposed at a right angle to the bar 10, and the attaching bar 11 is provided with an elongated slot 14 which opens outwardly of the upper end thereof.

For the purpose of illustrating the application and use of the shank button holder attachment 8, a part of a conventional sewing machine is illustrated in Figure l, including a portion 15 from which depends a vertically reciprocating needle holder 16 containing the needle 17. The foot bar 18 of the sewing machine extends down! wardly from the portion 15 and is spaced from the needle holder 16 and needle 17. An outer side of the attaching bar 11 is disposed against an inner side of a foot bar 18 and a headed screw 19 extends loosely through the slot 14 of the attaching bar 11 and threadedly through the foot bar 18 and is tightened for clamping the attaching bar securely to the foot bar. The slot 14 enables the mounting bracket 9 to be adjusted upwardly or downwardly relative to the foot bar 18 and thus relative to the needle 17. The jaw supporting bar 10 is supported by the attaching bar 11 below the foot bar 18 and inwardly and rearwardly offset relative thereto, so that the supporting bar 10 extends across and is disposed behind the needle 17.

The holder attachment 8 includes two angular button shank engaging jaws 20 and 21 each including an elongated portion 22 in the form of a bar and a shank portion 23. The shank portions 23 project at right angles from corresponding longitudinal edges of the bar portions 22, at adjacent ends thereof. Each shank portion 23, as best seen in Figure 4, has a transversely extending downwardly opening channel 24 in its underside and a transversely elongated opening 25 opening through an upper side thereof and downwardly into the channel 24. The channels 24 are sized to receive the supporting bar 10 and which bar is provided with longitudinally spaced threaded bores 26. Headed screws 26 extend downwardly through the openings 25 and threadedly engage in the bores 26, and are tightened for securing the shanks 23, and thus the jaw members 20 and 21, of which said shanks form parts, to the supporting bar 10. The bar portions 22 of said jaws 20 and 21 are disposed on the forward side of the supporting bar 10 in alignment with one another. The bar portions 22 extend away from one another and a portion of the bar portion 22 of the jaw 21 extends through the notch 13, as seen in Figures 1 and 6.

As best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 5, the opposed adjacent faces of the bar portions 22 constitute button shank receiving jaw faces 27 having corresponding horizontally disposed grooves 28 which open outwardly of the forward ends of said jaw faces, and vertically extending grooves 29 which intersect intermediate portions of the grooves 28.

As best seen in Figure 6, the outer or remote ends of the bar portions 22 have transversely extending grooves 30, and said bar portions 22 are each provided with a longitudinally extending threaded socket 31, which sockets open outwardly into the grooves 30.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 6, a pair of corresponding elongated mounting members 32 are supported adjustr groove 30. Each member 32 has a longitudinally elongated opening 34 which opens inwardly through the rib 33 and outwardly into a larger recess 35 in the outer side of the member 32. A headed screw 36 extends loosely through each opening 34 and threadedly engages the socket 31, with which said opening 34 registers. The heads of the screws 36 fit loosely in the recesses 35. Thus, the mounting members 32 are adjustable forwardly and rearwardly relative to the jaws 20 and 21 on which said mounting members are supported and may be sccured in different adjusted positions by tightening the screws 36.

Each mounting member 32 has a forwardly projecting portion 37 provided with a transversely extending threaded bore 38 through which a threaded rod 39 threadedly extends. The rods 39 have kerfs 40 in their outer ends for receiving the blade of a screw driver, not shown, for turning the rods in the bores 38 for displacing said rods toward or away from one another. The inner ends of the rods 39 are provided with heads 41 which are recessed, as seen in Figure 5, to provide sockets 42 each of which contains a ball 43 and a compression spring 44 which is disposed behind and urges the ball 43 outwardly of the socket 42. The open ends of the sockets 42 are peened or otherwise restricted, as seen at 45, so that less than a half of each ball can protrude therefrom, for retaining the balls in said sockets. Each rod 39 has a jamb nut 46 threadedly mounted on the outer end thereof and which is advanced against the outer side of its mounting element 32, after ad ustment of the rod 39, to retain the rod in a desired adjusted position. As seen in Figure 1, the 'outer or forward edges of the bar portions 22 are provided with longitudinally extending grooves 47 to loosely accommodate the heads 41 when the mounting elements 32 are in inwardly or rearwardly retracted positions. 7

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the jaw members 20 and 21 may be adjusted relative to one another and relative to the supporting bar by loosening the fastenings 26 for correctly spacing the jaw faces 27 to receive the shank of a button therebetween and also to correctly position the gap of said jaw faces relative to the needle 17. The jaws and 21 are then clamped in their selected adjusted positions by tightening the fastenings 26 so that the shank 48 of a button 49 will correctly fit in the outer portions of said jaw faces, with parts of the button shank 48 preferably engaging the outer ends of the horizontal grooves 28. The members 32 and the rods 39, carried thereby, will be adjusted with the jaws 20 and 21, after which, with the jamb nuts 46 retracted outwardly, the rods 39 are adjusted in the portions 37 to correctly position the spring pressed balls 43 relative to the jaw faces 27. As illustrated in Figure 3, the head 50 of the button 49 is rounded and has a rib 51 between the head and the shank 48. The heads 41 are spaced apart a distance so that the rib 51 can pass therebetween as the balls 43 are forced inwardly of their sockets 42. As the shank 48 assumes a seated position in the grooves 28, the balls 43 are forced outwardly by the springs 44 against the rounded head 50 and are disposed outwardly of the rib 51, for releasably holding the button 49 properly inserted in the holder 8 and with the opening 52 of the button shank correctly disposed to receive the needle 17, on the first down stroke thereof, as the sewing machine is operated in a conventional manner for securing the button to a piece of fabric, not shown. Accordingly, the button 49 does not have to be manually held while the sewing machine is in operation, thus leaving the hand of the sewer, normally used for holding the button, free for other operations, and eliminating the risk of injury to the hand due to being pierced by the needle 17. Further, with the holder correctly adjusted, the button 49 will be positively held correctly positioned relative to the needle. After the button has been sewed to a piece of fabric it can be disengaged from the holder 8 by an outward pull thereon and another button correctly applied to the holder by merely pushing the new button inwardly between the ball supporting heads 41 so that the shank 48 will enter the outer ends of the grooves 28.

In the use of conventional button holders, much time is lost in adjusting the sewing machine to position the needle relative to buttons of different sizes and shapes when engaged by the holder. With the holder 8, no adjustment of the sewing machine needle is required since the jaws 20 and 21 are adjustable relative to the supporting bracket 9 and thus relative to the needle 17 for correctly positioning said jaws so that the needle can enter the opening of the shank of a button supported thereby. The grooves 29 are provided to receive portions of shanks of buttons of unusual shapes.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

'1. A button holder attachment for a sewing machine comprising an attaching bracket, means adapted to secure said attaching bracket to a part of a sewing machine, an eiongated substantially horizontally disposed sup porting bar forming a part of said attaching bracket, a pair of button shank engaging jaw members, means adjustably securing said jaw members individually to said supporting bar for individually adjusting the jaw members longitudinally of the supporting bar, said jaw members having opposed spaced jaw faces adapted to engage a button shank for correctly positioning the button shank to receive a needle of the sewing machine, a pair of spring pressed ball members, means supporting said ball members on the jaw members in spaced apart opposed relation to one another, said jaw faces being disposed between said supporting bar and the ball members, said ball members being mounted for yielding movement away from one another and being adapted to receive a button head therebetween for releasably holding the button shank between the jaw faces and for urging the button shank inwardly between said jaw faces, said means for supporting the spring pressed ball members on said jaw members including means for individually adjusting the ball members toward and away from one another and relative to the jaw members, said means for supporting said ball members including a second means individually adjusting the ball members relative to the jaw members thereof and in directions toward and away from said jaw members and the supporting bar.

2. A button holder attachment for a sewing machine as is claim 1, said jaw faces having grooves in which portions of the button shank are adapted to seat when the button is held displaced inwardly by said spring pressed ball members.

3. A button holder attachment for a sewing machine comprising an attaching bracket, means adapted to secure said attaching bracket to a part of a sewing machine, an elongated substantially horizontally disposed supporting bar forming a part of said attaching bracket, a pair of button shank engaging jaw members, means adjustably securing said jaw members individually to said supporting bar for individually adjusting the jaw members longitudinally of the supporting bar, said jaw members having opposed spaced jaw faces adapted to engage a button shank for correctly positioning the button shank to receive a needle of the sewing machine, said jaw faces extending forwardly from the supporting bar, resilient members carried by said jaw members and disposed forwardly thereof and adapted to releasably engage the button to releasably retain the button shank seated between said jaw faces, and means adjustably mounting said resilient members on said jaw members for individually adjusting said resilient members toward and away from one another and toward and away from P ar s said jaw members and supporting bar for accommodating buttons of difierent sizes and shapes therebetween.

4. A button holder attachment for a sewing machine comprising an attaching bracket, means adapted to secure said attaching bracket to a part of a sewing machine, an elongated substantially horizontally disposed supporting bar forming a part of said attaching bracket, a pair of button shank engaging jaw members, means adjustably securing said jaw members individually to said supporting bar for individually adjusting the jaw members longitudinally of the supporting bar, said jaw members having opposed spaced jaw faces adapted to engage a button shank for correctly positioning the button shank to receive the needle of the sewing machine,

said jaw faces extending forwardly from said support- 15 2,726,613

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 425,422 Hallenbeck Apr. 15, 1890 1,151,853 Barron Aug. 31, 1915 1,167,616 Barron Jan. 11, 1916 2,331,170 Brussell Oct. 5, 1943 2,630,087 Liero et al Mar. 3, 1953 Eddy Dec. 13, 1955 

